


Welcome Back, Fucking Rachel Tice

by LastQueenofMars



Category: The Most Popular Girls in School
Genre: F/F, High School Reunion, Rivals to Lovers, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-28 03:10:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12596836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastQueenofMars/pseuds/LastQueenofMars
Summary: Ten years after her graduation, Rachel Tice still has hang ups about how she was treated as a teen. She's proven to be a more successful student yet there's someone who desperately wants to remind her how little she's accomplished.





	Welcome Back, Fucking Rachel Tice

**Author's Note:**

> Characters will be added as they become relevant. This started as a one off but since there's few fics in this fandom, I shall throw my hat in the race. I am happy to take suggestions on Tumblr @thugassduck.

Ten years later, they are all back at Overland Park High. The place seems to have retained its low budget charm after all these years. Clarence Nubbins sighs wistfully as he flips through his old yearbooks. Being the principal for all these years still leaves him in disbelief. The students of OPHS were always a colorful array of characters even though they were in the middle of the whitest place in America. They were a niche school full of odds and ends that together made Nubbins feel a part of a family. Tonight, he was going to get the same opportunity that he was lucky to have every few years: a high school reunion. This particular ten-year anniversary wasn’t just any anniversary. This was the year he saw the class of 2018. The same students that clinched a national cheer competition, freed kidnapped students in France, and ripped a girl’s arms off. His office always had at least three students (usually cheerleaders) sitting before him nearly begging not to be expelled. He often relented because they made the school’s test scores average out.

 

It filled him with pride to know that some of his students were able to make something of their lives. They were all as amazing as Cameron Van Buren who trail-blazed a new path for every student after her. That is to say she set the bar just low enough that no one had to actually jump to meet it. Mediocrity isn’t something worth celebrating but for Nubbins, it was his reasoning for being a principal. His education career wasn’t anything to sneeze at and when he was met with disagreements from his family about his move to Overland Park, it made him move faster. Showing how he could change just one student’s life would be worth it in the end, right? He had worked his ass off to put together the reunion that would pay off. Clarence pushes his round glasses up and stands to go to the gymnasium. He wants to check on how the decorations were coming before the party started. He turns the knob eagerly but finds that it will not budge. “Fuck.”

 

\------

Rachel Tice wasn’t really much to look at in high school. She had big eighties hair, a horrid sweater collection and a shrill voice that could cause animals to go into a feral rage. The girl wasn’t attractive in the same way your frumpy best friend won’t take a minute to brush her hair. She was called ugly because her peers thought they looked better by default. They did, but only because they forced the standard to make it so. Still, Rachel was perfectly fine not looking like everyone else. What’s the point of looking good and peaking early at 30? She had her eyes set on her future and that was good enough for her.

 

Receiving her invitation was almost like a slap to the face. She sat there and stared at the lace-adorned paper for a good thirty minutes. Why should she go see her old high school? What could possibly be there for her to _want_ to remember? Well, there was Judy. She had not seen her for about four years. She had not seen Jana Darabond since she recovered from her injuries in the hospital. Deandra was also coming back to town after moving away. Saison, well, she had called her just last week. Still, there were other people she’d rather not catch up with. People who made her blood boil and her nerves break. Every other week she was slapped, thrown into dumpsters, and called ugly all because she ate a bug in third grade. She was just a weird kid.

 

She sits in the taxi and fiddles with the ring on her finger. There was a lot on her mind right now and she wasn’t sure she could mentally handle it. She had used her therapy sessions to mentally prepare herself for this night. Her daughters were with her mom and she had paid the airfare to come all the way from New York. There was no turning back now. They were just a few blocks away from OPHS. “Overland Park, eh? I used to go there.” Her Uber driver says, hoping to make light conversation.

 

“Oh, really?” She asks, not sounding interested.

 

“Yup. I was captain of the football team _and_ prom king. Seems so long ago now…” He isn’t talking to her anymore; he has already spaced out in his own thoughts. Rachel looks out the window. It’s like nothing really changed here. _You’re bigger than this. Better than this place. You made something of your life._ She was living her life happily. “Here we are. Hey, if you see Cameron Van Buren-” She had already gotten out the car.

 

Rachel’s heart races as she walks up the steps. Each lift of her foot felt like lead in her heels. No matter how pretty or successful or popular those girls are now, she has her feet on the ground. She is Rachel Tice-news anchor, mother and bug enthusiast. She stops short at the front door of the gym. The music booms and thuds of now dated pop hits. It takes her back to her most vulnerable years. She stands there and continues to mess with the ring. It means nothing now but back when she was younger, it was her world.

 

“Rachel? Is that you?” A familiar voice asks. She looks up to find Judith with a big and straight smile on her face. Despite being her partner in crime for years, Rachel is still floored by how much and little Judith had aged. She still has her bone straight and brown hair but it is much more glossy and longer. There were small traces of gray in her hair and she now had a bit of crow’s feet near her eyes. The little freckles across her nose crinkles when she grins. Rachel relaxes at the sight of an old friend. “Wow, Rach, you look...amazing…” Judith takes Rachel's hand in hers and gives it a gentle squeeze.

 

“You look just as amazing, Judy.” For the first time since her time in OP she smiles. It feels like she's home again. “You grew your hair out.”

 

“Yeah, the missus thought that I should try wearing it longer. I like it but it's a bitch when it gets stuck in my mouth when I-” she starts to spit her flyaway hairs out of her mouth and huffs softly. Her tiny friend laughs loudly and reaches into her purse to pull out a scrunchie. Judith takes it gratefully to pull her hair out of her face.

 

“So how is Edna?” Rachel asks. She had gone into labor the morning of the wedding.

 

“Ah, she's great! I have some pictures from our trip to Jamaica.” Judith pulls out her phone and shows Rachel a picture of her wife. Edna and Judith are at the beach. Edna’s dark skin shimmers in the sunlight while Judith is holding her close. Rachel feels a twinge of envy. She wanted that happiness again. “And here is a pic of little Delilah at the kiddie pool!” She shows Rachel a picture of their daughter in ankle length water.

 

“She's adorable. How old is she now, two?”

 

“Yup. Getting bigger every day.” Judith sighs happily. “So, you wanna go in like old times?” Rachel looks back at the door. She had forgotten about the reunion. She tries not to frown. “Rach, you'll have to go in there. You came all this way.”

 

“I know but I don't want to see any of _them._ ” She looks down at the ground and curses softly. What grown woman is afraid of seeing high school bullies?

 

“Yeah, but you've got nothing to be afraid of. You've grown up into a capable woman. You're Rachel Mother Fucking Tice! You are a powerful woman!” Judith hypes her up.

 

“I am RACHEL MOTHER FUCKING TICE!” She cheers and opens the doors to the gymnasium.

 

 


End file.
